Banana Bread with Vanilla Ice Cream and Graton Ridge Apple Wine Creme Anglaise

One of my favorite wineries in Sonoma is Graton Ridge .  A few months ago I was visiting the winery and tasted their Apple Wine.  The winery used to be an apple orchard and the owners decided to celebrate the past with a delicious wine made from the apples that still grow on the property.

They were have a contest to see who could come up with the best recipe using the wine.  My friend John and I entered and we won.

Here is the winning recipe.  Definitely try this out.  It is delicious.

For the banana bread:

- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups mashed overipe bananas
- 1/2 cup of apple wine (you can use apple juice as a substitute)
- 2 tbsp sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. in a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir in apple wine and sour cream. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes our clean. You may have to cook it a little longer. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack.

For the creme anglaise:

- 2 cups of Graton Ridge apple wine
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp brown sugar

Simmer 2 cups of apple wine until it reduces to about 1/4 cup. It will become a little syrupy,
this is okay. Combine a cup of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup of apple wine syrup,
1 tbsp ginger and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Bring almost to a boil, remove from heat and let stand 20
minutes. Strain with a mesh strainer.

Beat together the two egg yolks with 2 tbsp brown sugar and pur in cream mixture. Re-heat
over low heat, but do not bring to boil or sauce will curdle. Take off heat, let stand another
20 minutes and serve.

To Serve

Place a piece of the banana bread onto a plate, top with vanilla ice cream and drizzle creme
anglaise on top.